Apparatus for handling strip material



Feb. 21943. E. A. DAVIS 2,309,755

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING STRIP MATERIAL Filed Aug. 5, 1940 3'Sheets -Sheet 1 JFZEFY/ZL Euuaza .5 175M5- E. A. DAVIS Feb. 2, 1943.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING STRIP MATERIAL Filed Aug. 3, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 q u v uun $7 w:- LI 0: I n I n I .IWI IIII iffy- Feb. 2, 1943. E. A. DAVIS 2,309,755

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING STRIP MATERIAL Filed Aug. 5, 1940' s Sheets-Sheet 3 Patent ed Feb. 2, 1943 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING STRIP MATERIAL Edward A. Davis,'Akron, Ohio, assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application August 3, 1940, Serial No. 350,551

12 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for hanoiling strip material and is especially useful where flexible strip of hot extensible material, such as an extruded rubber strip is to be fed from a supply, cut to length, and coiled.

In the manufacture of hose, rubber tubing, and otherextruded strip material it is desirable to feed the material to cutting means where it is cut to length and to coil it in flat coils for vulcanizing purposes.

As the material is hot and very soft and extensible and issues from the extruding machine at a varying speed depending upon feed of the machine, temperature of the stock, and other variables, coiling or other handling of the strip without stretching it out of gauge is very difficult. As the material shrinks, considerably after release of extruding pressure measuring of the strip and cutting of it to length present many difficulties. v

The present invention aims to provide for overcoming these difliculties by synchronous control of measuring, cutting and coiling means and by speed regulated control of the operations to correspond with the speed of forming.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide automatic control of the feeding, cutting, and coiling operations, to provide for cutting the material accurately to length, to provide for regulating coiling speed to the delivery speed, and to ,and the delivery mechanism, other parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a detail side view of the scrap conveyor, other parts being broken away.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the coiling mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. lb.

Fig. 6 is a. diagram showing the piping and wiring of the control elements.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral ill designates a frame on Which a plurality of horizontal shafts II, l2, l3, l8, and i5 are rotatably mounted in parallel relation. Shafts H and it have pulleys i6 and ii fixed thereto for supporting and driving a conveyor belt l8 trained thereabout. Similarly shafts i3 and i l have pulleys l9 and 20 fixed respectively thereto for supporting and driving s'conveyor belt 2! trained thereabout. Belts l8 and 2! are spaced apart and separated by a tank 22, containing a coating solution 23, such as a suspension of talc powder in water, adapted to coat a strip 24 of extruded material, such as rubber tubing, traveling over the two conveyors from an extruding machine 25. The tubing 24 is cooled by the water of the suspension and is coated by the suspended materialso as to prevent its sticking together when coiled. A jet pipe 26 submerged in the water is supplied with compressed air from any convenient source (not shown) to agitate the liquid and keep it in suspension and to cool the liquid. It is provided with upwardly directed jet openings 21. To provide against spray of the liquid from the tank, a cover 28 is provided.

To facilitate threading of the strip through the liquid a shaft 29 is submerged in the liquid and has a sprocket 30 fixed thereto. A shaft 3! is rotatably mounted above the liquid and parallel to shaft 29. A sprocket 32 is fixed to shaft 29 and a chain 33 is trained about sprockets 30 and 32. A guide pulley at is rotatably mounted on a bracket 35 fixed to chain 33. A crank 36 is fixed to shaft 3 I. The arrangement is such that guide pulley 35 may be raised or submerged by manipulation of crank 35 and in the raised position, the strip 24 may be readily threaded thereunder so that in the lowered position the strip will be submerged.

For drying the liquid from the strips, a pipe iii, formed in a loop for the strip to pass through, has jets 4| directed inwardly against the strip, and is supplied with air under pressure from a source, not shown, to drythe strip.

For automatically cutting the strip to a desired length during its travel, the upper reach of the conveyor belt 2! is formed in a loop guided by rollers 5|, 52, 53, and an anvil 56 is located over the loop and level with the straight portion of the reach. A guillotine cutter is mounted on a pivot 56 over the anvil and is adapted to be forced toward the anvil by toggle links 51, 58. A pair of solenoids 59, B0 are mounted on the stationary frame 6!, which supports the anvil and toggle bearings, in positions facing each other, and their armatures 62, 63 are connected to the toggle links at their pivot 64 by links 65, 56. The arrangement is such that if either solenoid is energized the toggle links will be aligned so as to force the knife 55 through the strip against the anvil and will then be elbowed in the other station by rolling contact, and of closing control circuits at the start and at the finish of travel of a desired length. The device can be set for any desired length and does not require resetting at each measuring operation. A pulley II is fixed to the shaft thereof. A shaft 12 is rotatably mounted in a bracket 13 fixed to the frame, and has a pulley I4 and a gear 15 fixed thereto. A belt 18 drives pulley II from pulley I4. A swinging bracket 11 is pivoted on shaft I2. A shaft 18 is rotatably mounted at the outer end of the bracket and has a gear I9 and a pulley 88 fixed thereto. Gear I meshes with gear 19 which drives it, and pulley 88 is adapted to be driven by contact with conveyor belt 2|. A double-acting pressure cylinder 85 is pivotally secured, as at 86 to frame I8 and its piston rod 87 is pivotally connected to shaft I8. The arrangement is such that when the piston rod 81 is raised pulley 88 is held against belt 2| and the counter 18 is actuated, and when piston rod 81 is lowered the counter stops recording. The counter is geared to record the number of feet of the strip passing over the belt, while the pulley 88 is in contact with the conveyor belt. A spring tightener 88 keeps the conveyor belt free from slack, and a set of weighted rollers 89 rests upon the strip 24 to prevent its slipping with relation to the conveyor belt. Referring to Fig. 6, the counter- III has a three-way switch incorporated therein and may be set to close and open circuits. The switch is energized from main power wires 8Ia, 8Ib and has three terminals 82, 83, 84. Terminal 82 is connected directly to power wire 8Ib. Solenoid 88 is connected across terminal 83 and line 8Ia. Solenoid 8| is connected across terminal 84 and line 8 la. When the switch connects terminal 83 to terminal 82 solenoid 88 is energized and solenoid 59 is de-energized. When the switch connects terminal 82 to terminal 84, solenoid 59 is energized and solenoid 88 is de-energized. The arrangement is such that closing of the switch in either direction lowers and immediately raises knife 55.

Cylinder 85 is operated by a four-way Ross valve 98 actuated by a solenoid 9|. The Ross valve is a solenoid operated valve arrangement whereby a set of valves of the poppet type function under energizing of the solenoid to control fiuid pressure through a series of control pipes. The valve is supplied with compressed air or other operating fiuid from a line 92. Pipes 93, 94 connect the upper and lower ends of cylinder 85 respectively to outlet supply ports 95, 98 of the valve 98. The valve also has an exhaust port 91. The valve is normally held in position to supply air to pipe 93 and open pipe 94 to the exhaust and thereby holding roller 88 out of contact with belt 2|. This is due to a spring 98 which acts against the force of solenoid 9|. When solenoid 9| is energized it overcomes the spring and throws the valve to a position where pipe 94 is connected to the air supply and pipe 93 to the exhaust raising the roller 88 into contact with belt 2|. Solenoid 9| is wired across power line 8Ia and terminal 84 of the control counter so that it is energized only when solenoid 59 is energized. A starting switch I88 of the push button control type is provided in the power line for convenient manipulation by an operator. The arrangement is such that when the switch I88 is closed the solenoid 59 is energized, actuating the knife 55 to sever the strip 26 and simultaneously solenoid 9| is energized raising roller 88 against belt 2! and starting the control counter. When the desired length of strip has passed the knife 55, the control counter de-energizes solenoids 9| and 59 and energizes solenoid 88 causing the knife 55 to again sever the strip and simultaneously dropping roller 88 from contact with belt 21. When switch I88 is again closed, the cutting and measuring operation will be repeated.

Means are provided for coiling the cut strip of material in a pancake" coil while it is being measured and cut to length so that it is in convenient form for further treatment. For this purpose, a turntable I25 is provided and is adapted to be driven at such variable speed as to wind the strip at a uniform linear velocity corresponding to that of the conveyor belt 2|, and means are also provided to deliver the strip tangentially to the coil being formed.

For supporting and driving the turntable a frame I28 is provided with rails I21, I28 extending crosswise of the conveyor 2|. A carriage I29 is provided with rollers I38, I3I engaging the rails. A vertical spindle I32 is rotatably mounted in the carriage and has the turntable I25 fixed thereto, its upper end extending through the turntable to act as a dowel. A circular disc tray I33 is adapted to fit over the spindle and to be removably supported by the tumtable I25 which has a friction surface I34 for engaging the bottom of the tray.

Suspended from the carriage I29 is a bracket I48 which provides a vertical bearing for the spindle I32 and also a horizontal bearing for a quill MI. The quill I4I has a miter gear I42 fixed thereto and a similar miter gear I43 is fixed to spindle I32 and meshes with gear I42.

A pair of parallel horizontal shafts I58, I5I are journaled in the frame I28. Shaft I58 has a. feather key I52 and extends through quill I which has a key-way fitting said feather key, the arrangement being such that carriage I29 may be moved along its rails from end to end of the frame I28 and at all positions of the carriage rotation of the turntable causes rotation of shaft I58. A spur gear I 88 is fixed to shaft I58 and meshes with a spur gear I8I fixed to shaft I5I.

Shaft I5I is formed with a cam groove I82 comprising intersecting helical grooves of opposite hand joined to each other at their ends to provide a continuous groove. An air cylinder I83 is mounted on bracket I48 and its piston rod I84 is formed with a follower I85 adapted to engage the groove. When air is admitted to cylinder I83 through a pipe I88, the follower engages the cam groove and rotation of the shaft caused by rotation of the turntable imparts a traverse motion to the turntable. When air under pressure is admitted through a pipe I8| to the front of the cylinder, the follower I85 is disconnected from the cam groove.

A weight I88 is suspended from a cord I89 attached to carriage I29 and passing about a pulley I18 .on the frame. When the follower I85 is released from the cam I82, the carriage I29 is moved to the right in Fig. 4 by pull of the weight I88 and comes to rest with its spindle I32 substantially in alignment with the strip 24. When the follower engages the cam shaft, the carriage is moved first to the right and then to the left to coil the material in continuing overlying spirals. Pipe I 88 is connected to pipe 94 and pipe I8! is connected to pipe 93 so that when the roller 88 engages the belt 2| to measure the strip, the follower engages the cam groove to move the turntable back and forth in its coiling movement and when the roller 88 leaves the belt 2|, the table is moved by the weight I68 to starting position.

The turntable I25 is driven as follows: A horizontal shaft IIi is rotatably mounted in bearings I12a, |12b on the frame I26 and a second shaft I13 is mounted on the frame I26 parallel thereto. A sprocket |14 fixed to shaft |1| drives a chain |1,5 which drives a sprocket I16 rotatably supported on shaft I13. A lever arm I11 is pivoted on shaft I13 and has a bearing at one end thereof in which a shaft I18 is rotatably mounted. A sprocket I19 is fixed to the shaft I18 and is driven by a chain I80 from a sprocket |8| fixed to sprocket I16. A roller I90 is also fixed to shaft I18 and is adapted to engage the under side of disc I33 to drive the same. The arrangement is such that the roller contacts with the disc directly below the point of delivery of the strip 24 and drives that portion with which it contacts at a uniform linear speed.

A cylinder |9| is pivotally mounted, as at I92 to the frame I26 and its piston rod-I93 is pivotally connected to lever arm I11. A pressure supply pipe |94 connects the lower end of the cylinder to pipe I61 and a pipe I95 connects its upper end to the pipe I66. The arrangement is such that when the follower I65 is engaged in the cam groove I62, the roller I90 engages the disc I33 to rotate the same, and when the follower I65 is disengaged, the roller I90 simultaneously disengages the disc I33.

To provide for driving the turntable and the conveyor belts in unison, shaft "I has a sprocket 200 fixed thereto which is driven by a chain 20| from a sprocket 202 fixed to shaft I5. Another sprocket 203 fixed to shaft I drives a chain 204 which drives a sprocket 205 fixed to shaft I4 which drives conveyor belt 2|. Another sprocket 206 fixed to shaft I5 is driven by a chain 201 from a. sprocket 208 fixed to shaft I2 which drives conveyor i8. Shaft I2 is driven from any convenient source of power (not shown) by a chain 209 which engages a sprocket 2|0 fixed to shaft I2.

Where it is desired to drive the mechanism at a variable speed from a variable speed drive controlled by a valve 25a contactingwith a loop of the strip 24 as the strip comes frEm-an extruding head 25 or other forming means, the

chain 209 may be driven by speed control apparatus such as that disclosed in my application Ser. No. 305,569, filed November 21, 1939, and entitled Speed regulating apparatus. 4

For guiding the stri 29 to the turntable, a shaft 2 is rotatably mounted at the end of frame i0 parallel to shaft I4 and spaced therefrom. A swing frame 2|2 is pivotally mounted. on the shaft and supports a shaft 2|3 rotatably mounted at its swinging end and parallel to shaft 2. A rack sector 2I4 is fixed to swing frame 2|2 and a locking pawl 2|5 is pivotally mounted on frame I0, as at 2|6, in a position to engage the notches in the sector to lock the swing frame in different positions. A coil spring 2 I 1 mounted between the frame I0 and the pawl.

' holds the pawl in locked position.

belts 2| and MI without stretching it and to provide for deflecting scrap material from passing to belt 22I, a swing frame 230 is provided between belts 2| and 221 and is pivoted at one end on a bar 23L The bar is rotatably mounted in frame I0 and has a lever arm232 fixed thereto by which it may be swung from a position in alignment with the upper reaches of belts 2| and HI to a position downwardly inclined therefrom. Anti-friction rollers 233 are rotatably mounted on the swing frame to support the strip 24 in its passage from belt 2| to belt 22| without stretching. For operating the swing frame. a fluid-pressure cylinder 240 is pivotally mounted, as at 24| on frame I0 and its piston rod 242 is pivotally connected, as at 243, to lever arm 232. For operating the cylinder to swing the frame 230, a pipe 244 from its outer end is con-- nected to pipe 96 from valve 90 and a pipe 245 from its other end is connected to pipe 95 of valve 90. The arrangement is such that simultaneous with the starting of rotation of the disc I33 and the cutting of the leading end of strip 24 and the starting of the measuring operation. the frame 230 is lifted to its upper position to guide the strip 24 to the coiling mechanism, and.

simultaneous with cutting of the trailing end of the strip at the end of the measuring operation. the frame 230 is moved to the dot-and-dash position of Fig. 3 so that unmeasured scrap strip is delivered to a scrap box below the frame 230 until a new measuring operation is started.

we The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

Strip material such as unvulcanized rubber of hot stretchable and soft nature may be supplied from an extruding machine 25. Material so made or other strip material may be fed to belt I8 and thereover to the cooling and coating tank 2'! which tends to harden the hot soft material. Excess coating material is blown from the strip and the strip dried by the jets 4|. and the strip passes on to the measuring belt 2|. As the leading end of the strip passes under the knife 55, the operator closes the switch I00 causing the knife 55 to descend and sever the strip. Simultaneously with the cutting operation, the measuring roller is pressed against the measuring conveyor, the swing frame 23 is raised, the

follower I65 engages the screw threads I62, and

the roller I is raised to engage the disc I33.

The scrap end cut from the leading end of the st ip passes over the swing frame 230 while it is being raised so that it is delivered to the scrap box. There is suflicient clearance at the end of the swing fzame to permit the scrap end to pass it even after the swing frame is raised, and the weight of the scrap hanging beyond the swing frame acts to pull the scrap clear. The leading end of the new strip is fed onto the turntable which is at a position to receive its leading end near its center. As the material is delivered, the turntable is moved laterally the width of the strip at each revolution of the table and when one layer of coiled material is laid the second layer is laid thereon with the table moving laterally in the oppos te di ection. When the desired amount of the strip has passed themeasuring mechanism, the knife operates to sever it from the oncoming material. Inertia of the turntable coils the trailing end although contact of roller I90 with the turntabe disc is released with the cut. The release of the cam screw follower I65 is also simultaneous with the cutting so that no matter what position the table is at, depending upon the desired length of strip, the table is returned by weight I68 to its initial winding position. Dropping of the swing frame 230 is also simultaneous with cutting so that until set for another cut the oncoming material runs down the inclined frame into the scrap box.

Accurate control of speedof the conveyors and turntable with relation to feed of the strip from the extruding head is accomplished by the variable speed control mechanism operated from the valve 25a so that no stretching of the strip occurs making accurate measuring, cutting, and reeling possible.

The coiling mechanism starts coiling operations nearest its center. Regardless of stopping position for rotation of the turntable, the follower reengages the cam screw at the end of its.

groove each time it starts, preventing confinement of coiling to a restricted zone of the disc.

Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as it is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for handling stretchable strip material in which forming means delivers a plastic strip at a variable speed, said apparatus.

comprising means for receiving the strip from the forming means delivering the strip at a variable speed and for delivering it without stretch of the material, measuring means, means controlled by said measuring means for cutting the strip accurately to length, and turn-table means controlled by said measuring means and timed to said delivering means for reeling the cut material.

2. Apparatus for handling stretchable strip material in which forming means delivers a plastic strip at a variable speed, said apparatus comprising measuring means, means for receiving the strip from the forming apparatus operating at a variable speed and for delivering it without stretch to said measuring means, means controlled by said measuring means for cutting the strip accurately to length, and turn-table means synchronized with said measuring means and controlled in velocity by said delivering means for coiling the cut material in a flat coil.

3. Apparatus for handling strip material, said apparatus comprising measuring means operable on a moving strip, means controlled by said measuring means for cutting the strip accurately to length, and turn-table means controlled by said measuring means for coiling the cut material in a flat coil substantially without stretch.

4. Apparatus for handling strip material, said apparatus comprising measuring means operable from a running strip, cutting means in the path of said strip, hand-operated means for cutting the leading end from said strip and for simultaneously starting said measuring means, and means controlled by said measuring means for cutting the trailing end from the strip when a measured length has passed said measuring means.

5. Apparatus for handling strip material, said apparatus comprising measuring means operable from a running strip, cutting means in the path of said strip, conveyor means for delivering the out strip to reeling mechanism, and means conapparatus comprising a plurality of aligned conveyors, measuring means operable from a running strip on one of the conveyors, and means automatically controlled by said measuring means for deflecting a succeeding conveyor to discard scrap material.

7. Apparatus for handling strip material, said apparatus comprising a plurality of aligned conveyors, measuring means operable from a running strip on one of said conveyors, turn-table means beyond said conveyorsand controlled by said measuring means for coiling material from said conveyors, cutting means along one of said conveyors and controlled by said measuring means for cutting lengths of the strip to be coiled, and means controlled by said measuring means to discard scrap material between the lengths to be coiled.

8. Apparatus for handling strip material, said apparatus comprising a winding table, conveyor means for depositing strips thereon, means for driving the table to deposit the strips at a uniform linear velocity, means for imparting a transverse motion to said table to coil the strips, and means other than the transverse motion means for automatically releasing the transverse-motion means from said table and retuming said table to a determinate starting position at the start of each winding operation.

9. Apparatus for handling strip material, said apparatus comprising a winding table, conveyor means for depositing strips thereon, means for driving the .table at a uniform linear velocity at the position of deposit, means associated with said conveyor means for cutting the strip material to lengths, and means for automatically disconnecting said driving means from the table as each strip is cut to length.

10. Apparatus for handling strip material, said apparatus comprising a winding table, means for delivering strip material thereto, a friction roller adapted to drive said table at a variable angular velocity to correspond with the linear velocity of strip material to be coiled thereon, and measuring means contacting said strip for automatically disconnecting the table from contact with said friction roller at the end of a winding operation.

11. Apparatus for handling strip material, said apparatus comprising coiling means, friction means for driving said coiling means, means for feeding strips of material to said coiling means, and measuring means controlled by said feeding means for disconnecting said driving means at the end of a coiling operation.

12. Apparatus for handling strip material, said apparatus comprising means for continuously forming a strip of stretchable soft material, conveyor means for delivering the strip from said forming means, means for driving said conveyor means at a speed controlled by the speed of delivery from said forming means, measuring means associated with said conveyor means, cutting means in the path of the strip controlled by said measuring means for cutting the strip to desired lengths, coiling means driven from said conveyor means for coiling the strips in spiral coils, and means controlled by said measuring means for interrupting the coiling means and discarding scrap material between successive coiling operations.

EDWARD A. DAVIS. 

